Ukrainian officials admit that Ukrainian forces may have to withdraw from some parts of the Donbass region due to overwhelming Russian troops and firepower.
Army Russia In recent days, with short-range ballistic missiles, rocket artillery, heavy artillery and tanks, fierce attacks on towns and cities in Lugansk and Donetsk regions, where Ukrainian forces still control , the country officials said.
Ukrainian officials claim Russia has made modest progress on the ground, but some admit the situation is “very difficult” and Ukrainian forces have to back down in some places.
Russian forces appear to be shelling more towns in the Donbass region in an attempt to break through defenses and cut off Ukraine’s supply lines.
A senior defense official of America Russia “lost nearly 1,000 tanks, more than 350 artillery pieces, nearly 30 fighter-bombers and more than 50 helicopters in Ukraine up to now.” Despite these losses, the Russian forces maintained their offensive capabilities.
“Russia invested a lot in equipment and personnel for this operation, they suffered and so did the Ukrainian side,” the US official said. “Russia has the upper hand in terms of weapons, troops, and equipment that can be deployed for the operation.”
The Russian 2S7M Malka self-propelled howitzer shelled Ukrainian positions in the video released on May 27. Video: Russian Defense Forces.
Russian forces are close the encirclement city Severodonetsk in an attempt to take full control of the Lugansk province. Lugansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai announced that Russian forces “have surrounded two-thirds of Severodonetsk” and that 90% of the buildings in the city have been destroyed.
Colonel Andrey Marochko of the armed forces of the Lugangsk Republic (LPR) announced that his units surrounded Severodonetsk on three sides, leaving only one bridge to move in and out of the city. The separatists claim the bridge is within their range.
One of the hot spots of fighting in Severodonetsk is the Mir hotel. The Ukrainian side said that “an enemy reconnaissance group infiltrated the Mir hotel on May 26, our armed forces fought back”. Ukrainian forces then tried to regain control of the Mir hotel, but were unsuccessful.
The areas around Severodonetsk and the city opposite are Lysychanskacross River Siverskiy Donets, was heavily shelled by Russian forces. A police station in Lysychansk caught fire after shelling, and 50 buildings were damaged in the city, the head of the Lugansk provincial military government Serhiy Hayday said.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces shelled and ambushed targets in the province Kharkivincluding a company of engineers near the village of Zavhorodnie and thwarted Ukraine’s attempt to build a pontoon bridge across the River Siverskiy Donets.
A US official assessed that Ukrainian forces around the city of Kharkov “continue to push the Russian army further away within a few kilometers to more than 10 kilometers from the border, so there is no big change here”.
Russian forces and separatists take control of the city Lyman, north of Donetsk province, after days of fighting. Ukrainian troops are said to be withdrawing to the southwestern city of Slavyansk, shelling continuously during the withdrawal.
T-80 tanks belonging to the armed units of the self-proclaimed Lugangsk Republic open fire near the village of Toshkovka, southwest of the city of Severodonetsk, Ukraine May 23. Image: RIA Novosti.
While fierce fighting raged in the Donbass region, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine remained stalled and the two sides blamed each other. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that negotiations with Russia are needed to end the conflict, but Moscow does not want this.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks had been frozen due to conflicting statements by Ukraine and its officials, leaving Russia “unable to fully understand what the Ukrainian side wants and whether it is willing to do so.” approach soberly, as well as spider out the reality of the problem or not”.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has so far recorded more than 6.7 million Ukrainians leaving the country after February 24, when Russia launched a military operation.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) estimated the fighting in Ukraine left at least 4,031 civilians dead and 4,735 injured, but warned the actual number could be higher.
Location of the city of Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine. Graphics: BBC.
Nguyen Tien (Follow Reuters, TASS)
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